This drawknife, a common tool used by cabinetmakers in the early nineteenth century, was one of many antique hand tools donated to the Smithsonian in 1962 by members of the Early American Industries Association. Founded in 1933 to collect and preserve "the tools and implements used by our forefathers," the group supported the museum's efforts to represent the past through everyday objects and to honor the ingenuity and hard work of American artisans.